Catholic Myth #2: Catholics Don’t Believe the Bible
Catholic, Misconceptions July 27th, 2004This is another biggie, especially since many fundamentalist or evangelical Protestant groups say they “believe in the Bible.” So, anyone who doesn’t believe like they do automatically must “not believe in the Bible!” It’s not that simple of course. The Bible is a diverse collection of books full of diverse stories, concepts, and ideas. It is not a systematic theology. Thus, it must be interpreted. Catholics do believe the Bible and have the highest regard for it; we just interpret it differently than the evangelical Protestants. Here is what the catechism says about the Scriptures:
“In Sacred Scripture, the Church constantly finds her nourishment and her strength, for she welcomes it not as a human word, “but as what it really is, the word of God”. “In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them”" (#104).
“For Holy Mother Church, relying on the faith of the apostolic age, accepts as sacred and canonical the books of the Old and the New Testaments, whole and entire, with all their parts, on the grounds that, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have God as their author, and have been handed on as such to the Church herself” (#106).
“The inspired books teach the truth. “Since therefore all that the inspired authors or sacred writers affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures”" (#107).
So, according to the catechism, God is the author of Scripture, it is God’s word, it is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and it teaches God’s truth without error. This sounds like Catholics have a pretty strong belief in the Bible to me! Of course, the Catholic Church believes that the Bible is interpreted by the Church, but this is not arbitrary. The Scriptures are interpreted by the Spirit working through Christ’s Church, the same Spirit who inspired the writers of Sacred Scripture, the same Advocate whom Jesus promised would guide us into all Truth (John 16:13). Catholics believe that promise was fulfilled and is still being fulfilled today.
For more information, check out: Objection: Catholics Don’t Believe the Bible!
October 13th, 2005 at 4:05 am
Good article, truth needs to be preached to the protestants
October 13th, 2005 at 4:13 am
This is why we have thousands of sects who can’t agree on ’sola scripture’, the catholic church is the true church, and maintains its authority through the church and its ministers. Unity is compromised by some of our protestant ‘brothers’ through disrespect of our early church Fathers, who fought the good fight against the heretics, in maintaining the truth we have today in scripture and other catholic dogma.
October 14th, 2005 at 3:21 am
That’s funny that ‘Catholics don’t believe in the bible’, considering that the early church fathers complied the rule for inclusion of the letters that were circulating in the first century. They were inspired by God Himself to bring the scriptures together, if it were not for the early church fathers we WOULD NOT have the scriptures today, which the Protestants so vigorously claim that we the Catholics, don’t believe in. As Paul states, ‘they ‘Protestants’ (any rebellion against truth) twist the scriptures to their own destruction, and don’t understand the exegesis of progressive revelation. Protestantism has be around long before the reformation, it hides behind closed doors, in the days of old the true church dealt with them, that’s why we had Christendom preserved for centuries; one main religion with unity; until the reformation which caused a great disunity among our creed and people, the great apostasy is here, until the Lord again through his people will rule through his true ordained administration from the days of old. The true and one and only apostolic church. Catholicism through out the centuries has left its mark of great works in preserving our true heritage. Thank God for the Catholics, keep up the good work for your reward is in heaven, kept for that day.
April 28th, 2007 at 12:28 am
Now let’s define, what ‘Catholic’ means it’s the Latin word for univerisal CHURCH, UNDER THE LORD’S JESUS CHRIST AUTHORITY, who sits at the right hand of GOD! He is calling all to turn to him now, for the time is short, HE is returning on the clouds of heaven.